In the grand heyday of the classic Muskoka cottages of the early twentieth century, cottagers visiting from southern Ontario and the northeastern U.S. helped to create an identifiable architectural style, influenced by other fashionable summering areas such as the Adirondacks and Newport, but with a distinct Canadian accent.

Many of these original cottages, and the waterside inns that drew hundreds more vacationers, can still be seen overlooking the Big Three lakes and Muskoka’s other famous waterways. Dan Nicholson, who is one of the owners of a Port Carling building supply company that specializes in classic Muskoka-style cottage materials, instinctively had this tradition in mind when he and colleague Paul Donaldson conceived this rambling Lake Muskoka gem.

When Nicholson bought the property back in the early 2000s, it had a lot going for it. Comprising an enviable 245 feet of wooded Lake Muskoka waterfront, it had once had an older cottage on it, but by the time he purchased, only the old stone chimney remained.

He’s not sure if it was torn down, destroyed by fire, or simply fell apart of its own volition. But it left an important legacy: as Muskoka has become more populated, zoning regulations for new cottages (such as setbacks) have become increasingly strict – legislation he supports, since it ensures that all cottagers will be able to enjoy the area’s pristine views equally – but through grandfathering laws, the rules are more flexible for plots that have (or had) existing cottages. It meant he could build on virtually the same footprint, just 50 feet from the shore.

But shoreline proximity was only one of the considerations he had when he started. “I also wanted to strike a balance between the best orientation for views and sunlight, but also disturbing the site as little as possible. I didn’t want to do too much blasting or removing trees – whatever you cut down takes 80 years to replace, so you want to be as careful as possible with that.”

The main sitting area has a beautiful, stone fireplace.Mitchell Hubble

He counts himself lucky, since there was little need for either tree removal or blasting: the best site for the new house was more or less where the old one had been, in a clearing with a crystalline view of water, sky and woods. There was plenty of room to build a house that would serve as not just a cottage, but a year-round home for himself and his family. It was also an opportunity to deploy the materials and trades available through the company he works with, and later, as an investment opportunity for sale.

With its off-white trim and deep greenish-grey shiplap cedar siding, the exterior has the romantic Muskoka look that brings back memories for generations of cottage-goers. Its peaks and gables feature bands of cedar shingle under their apexes, another classic feature. A wide wraparound deck faces the view, joined to a screen porch that allows you to stay outside when birdsong turns to crickets (and bugs) at night. Granite stone paths wind from the foot of the deck stairs and from the kitchen and car park further back, to steps that lead down to the dock and another Muskoka staple: a gracious triple-slip boathouse on the water’s edge.

Most Muskoka waterfront properties slope gently (or, in some cases, steeply) to the water, making the most practical configuration for larger cottages a family area on the main level, with bedrooms and less formal spaces underneath. In this case, the entry from the drive leads into a slate-floored vestibule, equally practical for shedding muddy boots after a summer hike or snow and cross-country skis in winter. This leads directly into the kitchen, with its rustic black-stained cabinetry and expansive 20-foot island; pine-strip nine-foot ceilings intersected with wide ceiling beams give this area a cozy intimacy.

A pine dining table bridges the kitchen area just where the house bends at 45 degrees to the formal living room. Here, the view takes charge, framing trees and water through a giant arch-topped window, under a vaulted ceiling soaring to 18 feet at the peak. Timberframe exposed trusses enhance the feeling of loftiness, and at one side is another Muskoka icon: a granite wood-burning fireplace whose chimney pierces the ceiling.

The main floor also features a roomy master suite where mum and dad can retreat from hordes of kids and guests; its design is a smaller echo of the living room, with its own vaulted ceiling, timber frame trusses and archtop window overlooking a pretty view of trees. The adjoining ensuite, as throughout the cottage, features pine-strip ceilings and wide-plank pine floors, and granite and slate tiles.

A sturdy natural pine staircase leads to the lower level, where there are several more bedrooms, a big family area, and a second kitchen, great for parties or for kids to burn off energy on a rainy day. At the lake side of the cottage, there’s a second sitting area with a big TV, lit by a bank of glass doors that lead directly out to a stone patio, and from there, straight down to the lake.

The lower-level hallway has its own historical reference: each knotty-pine-trimmed bedroom doorway features glassed-in transoms, brightening the passageway (other doors in the home have transoms as well), and the walls are clad in a modern material that replicates the painted-wood beadboard walls of old Muskoka inns.

Down by the water, the boathouse doubles as a comfortable guesthouse, and like the main house, features the classic dark siding and white trim of the great 1920s Muskoka boathouses of legend. Its wide dock is perfect for landing by canoe or jet-ski or diving into the deep water offshore, and the main living quarters above the boatslip level feature both a covered seating area and a broad sunny deck for watching the lake’s ever-changing moods.

About six years ago, Nicholson did sell the cottage and bought another plot of land on nearby Lake Rosseau, where he built another, newer Muskoka-style home. Paul Arkell, who bought the cottage to enjoy with his own family, has been entertaining friends and family up there ever since.

“I’m a water guy!” Arkell laughs. “The first thing I always do when we arrive at the cottage is to run down and jump in the lake. The water is deep enough so it’s perfect for swimming and for boating.” Their two university-age daughters, he says, became wakeboarding and skiing enthusiasts at a young age, and the year-round cottage was perfect for both. And its generous size meant they could entertain as many as 20 friends at a time, whether for summer birthday parties or New Year’s Eve gatherings around a big bonfire by the frozen lake in winter.

Now the Arkells themselves are looking to downsize, and the cottage is up for sale. But Paul speaks fondly of at least one experience he’ll miss.

“One of our family traditions was always to lounge on the boathouse deck all day and watch the sunset, and then the moon rising above the water. Then by midnight, you’d look up and see a sky just filled with stars – you can never experience anything like that anywhere in the city.”